Method of providing heat to a heat exchanger apparatus via a burner

ABSTRACT

The disclosure is directed toward a method of providing heat to a heat exchanger via a burner. The burner includes a burner assembly and a large transparent door for viewing various components of the burner assembly and/or an integral pilot system. The burner can also include a windbox to manipulate air used by the burner assembly and/or an air manipulation device to ensure a proper air flow distribution in the burner assembly. The burner can also include a fan and a housing having holes disposed therein to permit fuel to enter various portions of the burner assembly.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a conversion of U.S. Provisional Applicationhaving U.S. Ser. No. 61/911,827, filed Dec. 4, 2013, which claims thebenefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(e). The disclosure of which is herebyexpressly incorporated herein by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This disclosure is directed toward a method of providing heat to a heatexchanger via a burner. The method includes the step of forcing air intoa burner assembly of a burner having a larger transparent door. The aircan be mixed with a fuel. Once the air and fuel have been mixed, theresulting mixture can be combusted to provide heat to the heatexchanger.

The disclosure is directed toward another method of providing heat to aheat exchanger via a burner. The method includes the step of forcing airinto a burner assembly of a burner having an integral pilot system thatincludes a fuel supply, an igniter and a diffuser to distribute astabilizing diffusion flame into a throat section of the burnerassembly. The air can be mixed with a fuel. Once the air and fuel havebeen mixed, the resulting mixture can be combusted to provide heat tothe heat exchanger.

The disclosure is also directed toward another method of providing heatto a heat exchanger via a burner. The method includes the step offorcing air into a burner assembly of a burner. The burner including awindbox disposed between a fan and a fuel injection section of a burnerassembly to manipulate the flow of air exiting the fan. The burner alsoincludes an air manipulation device centrally disposed in the burnerassembly and downstream from the windbox to ensure a proper air flowdistribution of fuel and air exiting the fuel injection section. The aircan be mixed with a fuel. Once the air and fuel have been mixed, theresulting mixture can be combusted to provide heat to the heatexchanger.

The disclosure is also directed toward another method of providing heatto a heat exchanger via a burner. The method includes the step offorcing air into a burner assembly of a burner. The burner including afuel injection section disposed in the burner assembly. The fuelinjection section includes a housing disposed between a fan and a throatsection where the housing includes a plurality of holes disposed thereinto permit the passage of fuel into the fuel injection section of theburner assembly. The air can be mixed with a fuel. Once the air and fuelhave been mixed, the resulting mixture can be combusted to provide heatto the heat exchanger.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a burner constructed in accordance withthe present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a side-elevation view of the burner constructed in accordancewith the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a front-elevation view of the burner constructed in accordancewith the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the burner constructed in accordancewith the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the burner constructed in accordance withthe present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a burner assembly constructed inaccordance with the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a flue gas recirculation system and anair delivery system constructed in accordance with the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 8A is a perspective view of an air manipulation device constructedin accordance with the present disclosure.

FIG. 8B is a flat pattern engineering view of the air manipulationdevice of FIG. 8A constructed in accordance with the present disclosure.

FIG. 9A is a perspective view of an air distribution device constructedin accordance with the present disclosure.

FIG. 9B is a flat pattern engineering view of the air distributiondevice of FIG. 9A constructed in accordance with the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure is directed to a burner 10 for use with a heatexchanger, such as a boiler 12 (boiler/burner components shown in FIGS.1-3). The present disclosure is also directed toward a method ofapplying heat to a heat exchanger using the burner 10 described herein.In one embodiment, shown in FIGS. 4-5, the burner 10 includes a burnerassembly 14 for directing and supplying a heat source, and a fan 16 forsupplying air to and through the burner assembly 14. The burner 10 canalso include a flue gas return system 18 for directing at least aportion of the flue gas back to the fan 16. In another embodiment, theportion of the flue gas can be directed to an air duct 20, which canprocess/filter air and mix the air and the flue gas prior to thismixture entering the fan 16 and the burner assembly 14.

The burner assembly 14, shown in FIG. 6, includes a windbox 22 and anair distribution device 56 for manipulating the flow of air that flowsthrough the burner assembly 14, a gas injection section 24 formanipulating the flow of gas into the burner assembly 14 to be mixedwith the air coming from the windbox 22, a throat section 26 whereprimary combustion of the air and gas mixture occurs, and an integralpilot system 28 centrally disposed within the burner assembly 14. Theintegral pilot system 28 maintains a pilot flame, ignites a main premixflame and is a stabilizing diffusion flame to anchor the main premixflame in the throat section 26. It should be understood and appreciatedthat the term “gas” used herein can be any type of gaseous materialcapable of being used to fuel a burner.

The integral pilot system 28 includes a gas supply 30, an igniter 32, anair manipulation device 44 (FIGS. 8A and 8B) and a diffuser 34 foranchoring the main premix flame in the throat section 26. The igniter 32extends into the diffuser 34 to ignite the gas flowing from the gassupply 30 into the diffuser 34. The diffuser 34 is designed such thatthe stabilizing diffusion flame is sufficiently distributed into thethroat section 26 to ignite the air and gas mixture entering the throatsection 26 from the windbox 22 and the gas injection section 24. The useof this pilot system 28 allows for higher burner turndown ratios. Thecapacity of the pilot system 28 can be easily increased by increasingthe size of the pilot gas train size. The capacity of the pilot system28 can be in a range up to about 20 percent of the capacity of theburner 10.

The air manipulation device 44 is a cylindrically-shaped tube and has afirst end 45 and a second end 47. The first end 45 can be attached to abackside portion of the diffuser 34. The air manipulation device 44 isdesigned to ensure a proper air flow distribution in the throat section26 by allowing a gradual transfer of air to this section over the lengthof openings 46 disposed in the second end 47 of the air manipulationdevice 44. The openings 46 cooperate to create a plurality of baffles48. In one embodiment, the openings 46 are triangular shaped. In oneembodiment, the length of the triangular shaped openings 46 is in arange of from about 6 inches to about 12 inches. In another embodiment,the length of the triangular shaped openings 46 is in a range of fromabout 20 percent of the length of the air manipulation device 44 toabout 50 percent of the length of the air manipulation device 44.

In another embodiment, shown in FIG. 7, the flue gas return system 18includes an inlet 36 in gaseous communication with the boiler 12 forreceiving flue gas from the boiler 12, an outlet 38 in gaseouscommunication with the air duct 20, a duct 40 disposed between the inlet36 and the outlet 38, and a damper 42 for controlling the flow of fluegas into the air duct 20.

The windbox 22 includes an air distribution device 56 (FIGS. 9A and 9B)disposed therein for creating a uniform air profile for flowing throughthe gas injection section 24. The air distribution device 56 is acylindrically-shaped tube and includes a plurality of openings 58 thatcooperate to create a plurality of baffles 60 that the air from the fan16 flows through and around prior to entering the gas injection section24. In this embodiment, the air is forced in a direction that isperpendicular to the length of the air manipulation device 56. Thus, theair manipulation device 56 is disposed in the windbox 22 such that theair from the fan 16 flows across it perpendicularly. In yet anotherembodiment, the air distribution device 56 can include a second set ofbaffles 62 attached to and extending outward from the baffles 60. Eachof the baffles 62 can have a length and width that varies in a range offrom about 30 percent of the length of the windbox 22 in the axis of theair manipulation device 56 to about 100 percent of the length of thewindbox 22 in the axis of the air manipulation device 56.

In a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the openings 58 aretriangular shaped wherein one of the corners of the triangular shapedopenings 58 is a rounded corner 59. In a further embodiment of thepresent disclosure, the radius of curvature of the rounded corner 59 isgreater than about 1 inch.

The gas injection section 24 includes a housing 50 having a plurality ofholes 52 disposed therein for the injection of gas into the burnerassembly 14. The holes 52 can be varied in size (diameter), shape,location, and number to create a better mixture of the gas and air thatis premixed prior to entering the throat section 26. For example, someof the holes 52 can have a larger diameter to allow for a deeperinjection of gas into the air cross flow in the gas injection section24.

Moreover, some of the holes 52 can have a smaller diameter to force ashallow injection of gas into the air cross flow in the gas injectionsection 24. Changing the size, shape, location and number of holes 52disposed in the housing 50 permits more control of the amount of premixof the gas and air prior to encountering the premix flame. The mixing ofthe gas and air is done upstream of the mixture contacting the mainpremix flame and combusting in the throat section 26.

In one embodiment, the larger holes 52 can have a diameter in a range offrom about 3/16 inch to about ½ inch. The smaller holes 52 can have adiameter in a range of from about 1/16 inch to about ¼ inch. In yetanother embodiment, the housing 50 can include medium sized holes 52 tofacilitate the injection of fuel/gas into the gas injection section 24 adistance greater than the smaller holes 52 and less than the largerholes 52. The medium sized holes 52 can have a diameter in a range offrom about ⅛ inch to about ⅜ inch.

In another embodiment, the smaller holes 52 have diameters that are in arange of 30 percent to about 50 percent of the diameters of the largerholes 52. Similarly, the medium sized holes 52 have diameters that arein a range of 60 percent to about 75 percent of the diameters of thelarger holes 52. Similarly, the smaller holes 52 have diameters that arein a range of 50 percent to about 70 percent of the diameters of themedium sized holes 52.

The centrally-disposed pilot system 28, and the more homogenous premix,permits the burner 10 to have ultra-low NOx emissions (less than 10 ppm)while maintaining a stable combustion of the air and gas mixturestarting in the throat section 26.

In a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the burner 10includes a large door 54 hingedly attached to a portion of the burner10. The door 54 can be constructed of a transparent material, such asdouble pane glass, to allow visual inspection of various internal partsof the burner assembly 14 and the fan 16. In one embodiment, thetransparent material makes up at least 50 percent of the area of thedoor 54. In another embodiment, the transparent material makes up atleast 80 percent of the area of the door 54.

In one embodiment, the door 54 is sized such that access to the burnerassembly 14 is permitted to an individual and/or allows variouscomponents of the burner assembly 14 to be removed via the door 54. Inone embodiment, the door 54 has a diameter in a range greater than about16 inches. In another embodiment, the door 54 has a diameter in a rangeof greater than about 28 inches.

In one embodiment, the door 54 can be located on the windbox 22. Thispermits access to burner components almost immediately after the burneris shut off because the design of the burner 10 is such that a number ofburner components are cooled quickly by the fan 16. The door 54 made ofsee-through glass eases the diagnostic process of the burner 10 whenproblems arise.

The present disclosure is also directed to a method of using the burner10 described herein. The method includes the step of forcing air intoand through the burner assembly 14 via any manner known in the art, suchas the fan 16 described herein. The method can also include mixing theair forced into the burner assembly 14 with a fuel, or gas, to create acombustion mixture. The combustion mixture can then be combusted tocreate heat to be provided to the boiler 12 (or heat exchanger). In afurther embodiment, the method includes the step of mixing the airforced into the burner assembly 14 with a portion of flue gas removedfrom the boiler 12 via the flue gas return system 18.

From the above description, it is clear that the present disclosure iswell adapted to carry out the objectives and to attain the advantagesmentioned herein as well as those inherent in the disclosure. Whileembodiments have been described for purposes of this disclosure, it willbe understood that numerous changes may be made which will readilysuggest themselves to those skilled in the art and which areaccomplished within the spirit of the disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method, the method comprising: forcing air intoa burner assembly of a burner, the burner having a large transparentdoor disposed therein for viewing components of the burner assembly andproviding access to components of the burner assembly; mixing the airwith a fuel in the burner assembly to create a mixture to be combusted;and combusting the mixture to provide heat to a heat exchanger.
 2. Themethod of claim 1 further comprising the step of mixing the air forcedinto the burner assembly with a portion of flue gas removed from theheat exchanger via a flue gas return system, the flue gas systemcomprising: an inlet to the flue gas return system in gaseouscommunication with the heat exchanger; an outlet from the flue gasreturn system in gaseous communication with the burner assembly; and aduct disposed between the inlet and outlet.
 3. The method of claim 2wherein the flue gas return system further comprises a damper that canbe selectively opened and closed to control the amount and flow rate offlue gas entering the burner assembly.
 4. The method of claim 1 whereinthe large door has a diameter greater than about 16 inches.
 5. Themethod of claim 1 wherein the large door has a diameter greater thanabout 28 inches.
 6. The method of claim 1 wherein at least 50 percent ofthe large door is constructed of a transparent material.
 7. The methodof claim 1 wherein the burner further includes a fan for forcing airinto the burner assembly, the burner assembly further comprising: awindbox to manipulate the flow of air exiting the fan; a fuel injectionsection for providing fuel into the burner assembly to mix with themanipulated air exiting the windbox; an integral pilot system to lightand maintain a pilot flame; and a throat section where primarycombustion of the mixture of the air and fuel occurs.
 8. The method ofclaim 8 wherein the integral pilot system is centrally disposed withinthe burner assembly and includes a fuel supply, an igniter and adiffuser to distribute a stabilizing diffusion flame into the throatsection of the burner assembly.
 9. The method of claim 9 wherein thefuel injection section provides the fuel into the burner assembly to mixwith the manipulated air prior to the fuel and air encountering thestabilizing diffusion flame extending from the diffuser of the integralpilot system.
 10. The method of claim 8 wherein the windbox includes anair distribution device disposed therein to create a uniform air profileto flow into the fuel injection section.
 11. The method of claim 11wherein the air distribution device is a substantially cylindricallyshaped tube having a plurality of openings disposed therein that createbaffles that extend along a length of the cylindrically shaped tube. 12.The method of claim 12 wherein the openings and the baffles aresubstantially triangular shaped and one corner of the opening is roundedand has a radius of curvature greater than about 1 inch.
 13. The methodof claim 12 wherein the air from the fan flows into the windbox andperpendicular to the length of the air distribution device.
 14. Themethod of claim 8 wherein the burner assembly further includes an airmanipulation device centrally disposed in the burner assembly anddownstream from the windbox to ensure a proper air flow distribution ofthe fuel and air entering the throat section.
 15. The method of claim 15wherein the air manipulation device is a substantially cylindricallyshaped tube having a plurality of openings disposed therein that createbaffles that extend along a predetermined length of the cylindricallyshaped tube.
 16. The method of claim 16 wherein the openings and thebaffles of the air manipulation device are substantially triangularshaped and one corner of the opening is rounded and has a radius ofcurvature greater than about 0.1 inch.
 17. The method of claim 16wherein the air manipulation device has a first end connected to abackside of the diffuser and a second end having the openings disposedtherein.
 18. The method of claim 18 wherein the fuel injection sectionfurther includes a housing disposed between the windbox and the throatsection, the housing has a plurality of holes disposed therein to permitthe passage of fuel into the burner assembly.
 19. The method of claim 19wherein the holes disposed in the housing vary in size to facilitate thedepth at which the fuel is injected into the fuel injection section tomore thoroughly mix the manipulated air exiting the windbox and the fuelpassing through the holes.
 20. A method, the method comprising: forcingair into a burner assembly of a burner, the burner assembly having anintegral pilot system to light and maintain a pilot flame is centrallydisposed within the burner assembly, the integral pilot system includesa fuel supply, an igniter and a diffuser to distribute a stabilizingdiffusion flame into a throat section of the burner assembly; mixing theair with a fuel in the burner assembly to create a mixture to becombusted; and combusting the mixture to provide heat to a heatexchanger.
 21. The method of claim 21 wherein the fuel injection sectionprovides the fuel into the burner assembly to mix with the manipulatedair prior to the fuel and air encountering the stabilizing diffusionflame extending from the diffuser of the integral pilot system.
 22. Themethod of claim 21 wherein the burner assembly further includes an airmanipulation device centrally disposed in the burner assembly anddownstream from the windbox to ensure a proper air flow distribution ofthe fuel and air entering the throat section.
 23. The method of claim 23wherein the air manipulation device is a substantially cylindricallyshaped tube having a plurality of openings disposed therein that createbaffles that extend along a predetermined length of the cylindricallyshaped tube.
 24. The method of claim 24 wherein the openings and thebaffles of the air manipulation device are substantially triangularshaped and one corner of the opening is rounded and has a radius ofcurvature greater than about 0.1 inch.
 25. The method of claim 24wherein the air manipulation device has a first end connected to abackside of the diffuser and a second end having the openings disposedtherein.
 26. A method, the method comprising: forcing air into a burnerassembly of a burner, the burner comprising: a windbox disposed betweena fan and a fuel injection section of a burner assembly to manipulatethe flow of air exiting the fan, the windbox having an air distributiondevice disposed therein to create a uniform air profile to flow into thefuel injection section; and an air manipulation device centrallydisposed in the burner assembly and downstream from the windbox toensure a proper air flow distribution of fuel and air exiting the fuelinjection section; mixing the air with a fuel in the burner assembly tocreate a mixture to be combusted; and combusting the mixture to provideheat to a heat exchanger.
 27. The method of claim 27 wherein the airdistribution device is a substantially cylindrically shaped tube havinga plurality of openings disposed therein that create baffles that extendalong a length of the cylindrically shaped tube.
 28. The method of claim27 wherein the openings and the baffles are substantially triangularshaped and one corner of the opening is rounded and has a radius ofcurvature greater than about 1 inch.
 29. The method of claim 28 whereinthe air from the fan flows into the windbox and perpendicular to thelength of the air distribution device.
 30. The method of claim 27wherein the air manipulation device is a substantially cylindricallyshaped tube having a plurality of openings disposed therein that createbaffles that extend along a predetermined length of the cylindricallyshaped tube.
 31. The method of claim 31 wherein the openings and thebaffles of the air manipulation device are substantially triangularshaped and one corner of the opening is rounded and has a radius ofcurvature greater than about 0.1 inch.
 32. The method of claim 31wherein the air manipulation device has a first end connected to abackside of the diffuser and a second end having the openings disposedtherein.
 33. A method, the method comprising: forcing air into a fuelinjection section disposed in a burner assembly of a burner, the fuelinjection section having a housing disposed between a fan and a throatsection, the housing having a plurality of holes disposed therein topermit the passage of fuel into the fuel injection section of the burnerassembly; mixing the air with a fuel in the burner assembly to create amixture to be combusted; and combusting the mixture to provide heat to aheat exchanger.
 34. The method of claim 34 wherein the holes disposed inthe housing vary in size to facilitate the depth at which the fuel isinjected into the fuel injection section to more thoroughly mix themanipulated air exiting the windbox and the fuel passing through theholes.